10 Things I Learnt While Camping

10 Aug 2017

Following on from yesterdays post about the campsite at Park Foot, I thought I'd do a tongue in cheek post on 10 things I learnt when I was away.

1. You have to put up your own tent. There is no one to help you, other than friends or partners. I did suggest offering some teenagers £20 to do it for me but this is apparently frowned upon. No matter what people say, putting up the tent is not a fun part of camping. In fact it will be test to your relationship. I'll not even get started on bringing the tent down.

2. When you see another female also making her way to the shower block holding a towel and other showering equipment, speed up. If there is a queue for the showers you want to get there first, if there isn't you at least want first pick of the cleanest showers. I practically ran to the shower blocks each morning and got first dibs of the cleanest shower. 3. Try not to drink too much after 8pm, unless it's gin then that's totally fine. I hate the dark so I didn't want to be traipsing to the toilet in the pitch black. 4. If you are lucky enough to be sleeping on an airbed in your tent, make sure it doesn't have a leak! Matty is clearly a little heavier than me so I basically spent all night climbing out of the dip he had created in the bed. Not a good nights sleep.

5. Children have zero fear. I get panicky when I see a child playing on a road, at a campsite this seemed to be the norm. They sent my anxiety through the roof! 6. You'll take all the food but only eat crisps and cheese then bring the rest of the food home.

7. Make a plan to go on a nice long walk, you'll even take a map and a compass to real get into the outdoor spirit but as soon as you see the pub, wine seems like such a better idea. 8. Don't worry, drinking wine out of a plastic ikea cup doesn't make you any less classy.

9. Waking up at 3am and cursing any bird, sheep or dog you can hear for waking you up. I need all the beauty sleep I can get when camping. 10. It will take you approximately 3 hours to pack your car with all the things you need and 3 days to unpack. What have you learnt on your camping trip?